Drainboard washer mechanism



J. F. You-NG ErAl.

DRAINBOARD WASHER uEcHANIsu Filed Nav. 20, 1947 ne o o o d ,'o

u fai-iw Inventors.

`Javnfsys, FT Young, Car S. Dayton,

by im Their Attorney.

June 13, 1950 Patented June 13, 1950 DRAIh/TBOARD WASHER MECHANISM James F. Young and Carl S. Dayton, Bridgeport, Conn., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 20, 1947, Serial N0. 787,090

7 Claims. (Cl. lim-3.5)

The present invention relates to clothes washing machines of the type wherein washing is performed in a basket by an agitator, the basket afterwards being rotated to extract centrifugally the Water from the clothes.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement in a washing machine of this type which is simple in structure, reliable in operation and capable of being manufactured at low cost. The invention is especially well adapted for small, portable, light weight machines adapted to be readily lifted manually and placed on a drain board, for example, when the machine is being used. How- 1- ever, the invention is not limited thereto necessarily.

For a consideration of what we believe to be novel and our invention, attention is directed to the following specification and to the claims appended thereto. In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a washing machine embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on a larger scale of the operating mechanism; Fig. 3 is a detail view looking in the direction of the arrow III in Fig. 2 and illustrating a connection between an agitator and a spin basket, and Fig. 4 is a detail view `of a modification.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates the tub of the washing machine which may be supported on a base 2 provided with feet or casters 3. In the tub is a unitary structure comprising a basket 4 in which the clothes are washed, an agitator 5 for performing the washing operation and a sealed casing 6 in which is an electric motor and mechanism operated by it for oscillating the agitator to perform the washing operation, the

basket being then stationary, and for spinning the basket and the agitator to extract the water from the` clothes. This unitary structure may be supported in the tub in any suitable way, the

specific supporting means forming no part of our present invention. In the present instance, it is shown as being supported by a base spring 1 and three side springs 8. Base spring 1 is positioned between a strap 3 xed to the bottom III of tub I and the bottom of casing 6. The lower end of casing 6 projects through an opening I I in the bottom wall I0. The space between the edges of opening II and the casing 6 is sealed by a suitable flexible diaphragm I2 attached at one edge to the wall surrounding opening II and at the other edge to casing 6. Springs 8 are tension springs and are connected at one end to ears I3 on casing 6, and at their other ends to ears I4 xed to the inner surface of the side wall of tub I. This arrangement serves to provide a yielding, resilient mounting for the unitary structure comprising casing 6, the mechanism therein,

the basket 4 and the agitator 5. Tub I has an open top closed by a suitable cover I5, and handles I6 on its sides by which it may be lifted.

Casing 6 is shown as being for-med in two sections, an upper section I1 anda lower section I8. The sections are provided with meeting flanges I9 which may be clamped together in sealing relation by studs 20. 'I'he motor for operating the mechanism is located in lower casing section I8. It comprises a suitable field structure I 8a carried by casing section I8 and an armature 2| xed on a shaft 22. Shaft 22 is supported in an upper bearing 23 carried by a diaphragm 24 which, at its edge, is supported on a shoulder 25 in casing section I 8, and by a lower bearing which may be in the form of a suitable step bearing (not shown). Diaphragm I2 serves to hold casing I8 and field structure Ilia from turning.

On the upper end of motor shaft 22 is a pinion 26 which may be formed integral with the shaft and which meshes with a gear wheel 21 mounted to turn on a stationary shaft 28 which 'is carried by upper and lower walls 29 and 30 of a gear cage or housing 3|. Formed integral with gear wheel 21 is an eccentric 32 surrounding which is an eccentric strap 33 provided with an arm 34 which is pivotally connected to an arm 35 formed integral with a sleeve 3G xed on the lower end of a vertical shaft 31. As appears in Fig. 2 arm 35 is bifurcated to receive arm 34 for pivotal securement by a pin or the like 35a. Shaft 31 is hollow and its lower end is closed by a bearing plug 38, the head of which engages the upper surface of pinion 26, i. e., the top of motor shaft 22, which forms a thrust bearing for shaft 31. Shaft 31 is mounted in spaced bearings 39 and 40 pressed into the upper and lower ends of a sleeve 4I which, at its lower end, is fixed in a flange 42 forming a part of the upper casing section I1. The upper end of sleeve 4I is above the normal wash water level in tub I.

'I'he upper end of shaft 31 is threaded to receive an agitator nut 43 having a triangular tapered outer surface. Agltator 5 is of known construction, it being provided with a base 44. agitator blades 45, and a vertical post 46 which at its upper end is provided with a tapered opening 41 which fits over agitator nut 43 and is held thereon by a nut 48 threaded onto the upper end of shaft 31. Thus, the agitator is rigidly connected to shaft 31.

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Connected with a hub 49 on the top wall of gear cage 3| are a plurality of spring arms 50 (three, for example), and carried by the outer ends of arms 50 is a brake and clutch ring 5| having oppositely tapered surfaces 52 and 53 which may be faced With suitable friction material. Beneath each arm 50 is a compression spring 54 which at its lower end rests on gear cage 3| and acts in a direction to force clutch surface 52 against the tapered surface of a brake ring 55 which may be formed integral with the inner surface of casing 6. The Iengagement of clutch ring 5| with the brake ring on casing 6 serves to hold gear cage 3|` stationary. Gear cage 3| is provided with pressed in bearings 56 and 51, the bearing 56` surrounding the lower end of and forming a bearing for shaft 31 and the bearing 51 surrounding the upper end of and forming a bearing for motor shaft 22. When ,gear cage 3| is stationary, motor shaft 22 turns in bearing 51 and agitator shaft 31 turns in bearing 56. The lower end of bearing 51 is provided with an enlarged head which engages the top surface of a head on the upper end of bearing 23, which latter in substance forms a thrust bearing against which bearing 51 rests to support gear cage 3|.

Slidably mounted on shaft 31 is a clutch disk 68 having a tapered rim 6| adapted to engage the inner surface 53 of brake and clutch ring 5|. At its central portion, clutch disk 60 is provided with a flange 62 through which extends a pin 63 which connects clutch disk 60 to shaft 31, the pin extending through an elongated slot 64 in shaft 31. Pin 63 is biased to a position in engagement with the top of slot 64 by a spring 65 positioned in the lower endy of shaft 31 between pin 63 and head 38. Bearing on the upper end of pin 63 is an operating rod 66 whichgproiects beyond the top of the agitator shaft and is provided on its upper end with a nut 61 which engages threads 68 on the top of the agitator post. Nut 61 is fixed on the upper end of rod 66, being positioned between a shoulder 65 at the top of the rod and a nut which threads onto the upper end of the rod.

The bottom wall 1| of basket 4 is dished inwardly and upwardly at its central portion, as is indicated at 12, and terminates in a sleeve 13 provided on its outer surface with a pressed on bearing 14 for the lower end of the agitator post 46 and on its inner surface with upper and lower pressed-in bearings 15 which engage stationary sleeve 4|.

In the bottom wall 1| oi' spin basket 4 is an arcuate slot 16 (see Fig. 3) in which is located a pin 11 attached to agitator 5. On the pin is a sleeve 18 of suitable resilient material such as rubber, which stands in slot 16 and is adapted to engage its ends. v

Spin basket 5 is provided with perforations 80 for flow of water to and from the interior of the basket. The tub is provided with two drain hoses, a drain hose 8| connected with the bottom of the tub and a. drain hose 82 connected with the tub at a point somewhat rbelow the bottom of basket 5. The hoses may be supported in vertical positions as shownin Fig. 1 by suitable clips 83 adjacent to the top of the tub. At 84 is a pipe through which lubricant may be discharged to lubricate the gearing, it being circulated through the pipe by suitable meansv (not shown) from a lubricant supply sealed in the casing 6. The operation is as follows:

Normally nut 61-stands in its upper position, as shown in Fig. 2, permitting spring 65 to hold pin 63 against the upper edge oi slot 64 whereby clutch disk 60 is held from engagement with brake and clutch ring 5| and springs 54 hold the brake and clutch ring in engagement with brake ring 55. Springs 50 hold gear cage 3| stationary. The tub is filled with washing solution to a level about even with the top ring of holes and the clothes to be washed are placed in the spin basket. The motor is then started. Themotor turns pinion 26, gear wheel 21, and eccentric 32, and the eccentric through its connection with shaft 31 oscillates the shaft to eect back and forth movement of agitator 5 to perform the washing operation. During washing, pin 11 moves in slots 16,- the slot being of a length somewhat greater than the angular stroke of the agitator. The spin basket is stationary or substantially so, being held stationary by its inertia and water friction. It will be positioned initially by pin 11 engaging an end of the slot 16.

After the washing operation is completed, the motor is stopped and the washing solution is drained from tub by hose 82 to lower the level of the water in the tub to the point where hose 82 connects with the tub. This brings the level of the water below the spin basket by an amount to leave an empty space sufficient to hold the water to be extracted from the clothes without bringing the level up tothe bottom of the spin basket. At the same time, considerable water is left in the bottom of the ktub to form ballast toy assist in holding the tub stationary during the spinning operation. Following this, nut 61 is screwed downward lowering rod 66 which in turn lowers pin 63 and clutch disk 60 against the action of spring 65. Initial movement of clutch disk 60 brings it into engagement with brake and clutch ring 5|, and further movement moves the clutch disk and the brake and clutch ring as a unit to move ring 5| out of engagement with -brake ring 55. This latter movement takes place against the action of springs 54 and 50 which serve to force the clutch surface 53 of the ring 5| tightly into engagement with the outer surface of tapered rim 6| of the clutch disk. This releases the brake and connects gear cage 3| directly to clutch disk 60 and through clutch disk 60 and agitator shaft 31 to agitator 5. Now when the motor is operated, gear cage 3|, brake and clutch ring 5|, clutch disk 60, agitator shaft 31 and agitator 5 are turned as a unit through the engagement of teeth on pinion 26 with teeth on `gear 21, the pinion and gear being held from turning relative to each other since gear 21 is held stationary relative to the gear cage due to shaft 31 being connected to the gear cage by the clutch. When the agitator starts to turn, it carries with it pin 11 and when pin 11 reaches the end of slot 16 it carries the spin basket along with the agitator to e'ect rotation of the spin basket. There is thus formed in eii'ect a direct drive between the motor shaft and the spin basket wheit'ieby the spin basket will be turned at motor spee After the water has been extracted from the clothes,rthe motor is stopped; after which the clothes may be removed from the spin basket.

Nut 611s then turned in the direction lto lift rod 66 away from pin 63 permitting springs 54 to move brake and clutch ring 5| upward into engagement with brake ring 55 and spring 65 to lift clutch disk'60 from engagement with the brake and clutch ring 5|. This restores the parts to their initial positions ready for another washing operation.

In connection with our construction, it will be notedthat the force lrequired to hold the gear cage 3| stationary during the agitate cycle is taken by casing C, itv being supplied by clutch and 'brake 55 and bearing $1 downward against bearing 23. These forces are isolated from, and thus have no effect on, the gearing carried by cage Il through which the motor operates the agitator. And during the spin cycle, the clutch force is isolated from the stationary system, since the upward thrust on tubular shaft 31 due to springs Il acting on clutch disk B and shaft l1 tol which it is attached by pin Q3 1s taken by sleeve Il bearing against the lower end of bearing Il. We regard this arrangement as being one important feature of our invention.

.In Fig. 4 is shown a modification of our inventionwherein the brake ring 55 is replaced by means for positively connecting the gear lcage yto the casing to hold it stationary during the washing period. To this end the friction brake ring 55 of Fig. 2 is replaced by' a brake disk 8l attached to the bottom of a hub 88 corresponding to hub 42 of Fig. 2 having circumferentially spaced slots or openings 81 in its edge, three for example, which engage plugs 88 carried by a clutchring 89 corresponding to brake and clutch ring 5| of Fig. `2. Clutch ring 89 cooperates with a. clutch disk 90 corresponding to clutch disk 60 of Fig. 2. Otherwise the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 is similar to that of Fig. 2 and the same reference characters have been applied to corresponding parts.

During washing, plugs 88 stand in slots 81 to hold gear cage 3l stationary. During spinning clutch disk 90 is lowered to move plugs 8l down out of slots 81 and connect the clutch disk to clutch ring 89.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. For use in a clothes washing machine or the like of the type disclosed, a tubular shaft and means for either oscillating or rotating the shaft comprising a casing into which an end of the shaft projects, a gear cage rotatably mounted in the casing, an electric motor, gearing carried by the cage which connects the motor to said shaft for oscillating the shaft, brake means for holding the cage stationary, a clutch for connecting the cage to the tubular shaft, and a rod extending down through said tubular shaft for actuating said brake means and said clutch.

2. For use in a clothes washing machine or the like of the type disclosed, a' tubular shaft and means for either oscillating or rotating the shaft comprising a casing into which an end of the shaft projects, a gear cage rotatably mounted on such shaft end, an electric motor, gearing carried by the cage which connects the motor to said shaft for oscillating the shaft, brake means for holding the cage stationary, a clutch for connecting the cage to said shaft end, and a rod said first-named shaft and drivingly associated extending down through said tubular shaft for actuating said brake means and said clutch.

3. For use in a clothes washing machine or the like of the type disclosed, a tubular shaft and means for either oscillating or rotating the shaft comprising a casing into which an end of the shaft projects, a gear cage rotatably mounted on such shaft end, an electric motor, gearing carried by the cage which connects the motor to said shaft for oscillating the shaft, a brake ring fixed to said casing, a brake and clutch ring carried by the cage, a clutch disk connected to and movable with respect to the tubular shaft, and a rod extending down through said tubular shaft for moving said clutch disk into and out of engagement with the brake and clutch ring and the brake and clutch ring into and out of engagement with the brake ring.

4. For use in a clothes washing machine or the like of the type disclosed, a tubular shaft and means for either oscillating or rotating the shaft comprising a casing into which an end of the shaft projects, a gear cage rotatably mounted on such shaft end, an electric motor, gearing carried -by the cage which connects the motor to said shaft for oscillating the shaft, a brake ring xed to said casing, a brake and clutch ring carried by the cagea clutch disk slidably mounted on theshaft end, a pin carried by the clutch disk and sliding in a slot in the shaft end for limiting the movement of the clutch disk with respect to the shaft end, a spring which biases the clutch disk out of engagement with the brake and clutch ring, and a rod extending down through said tubular shaft for moving said clutch disk against the action of said spring into and out of engagement with the brake and clutch ring and the brake and clutch` ring into and out of engagement with e brake ring.

5. For use in a clothes was g machine or the like of the type disclosed, a stationary casing, a shaft an end of which projects into the casing,

va gear cage in the casing having top and bottom walls, said cage being rotatably mounted on said shaft end, a thrust bearing xed to the casing on which the bottom cage 'wall rests, a drive motor shaft extending into said gear cage co-axial with with gearing in said gear cage to oscillate said first-named shaft, a brake ring carried by the casing, a clutch and brake ring resiliently carried by the gear cage for axial movement relative thereto, spring means positioned between the clutch and brake ring and said gear cage which serves to force said clutch and brake ring upward against said brake ring and said cage downward to clamp the cage between said brake ring and said thrust bearing to hold the cage stationary against motor torque during oscillation of said shaft, a clutch disk connected to said first shaft and axially movable thereon, andlmeans can'ied by said shaft for moving said clutch disk to bring it into engagement with said clutch and brake ring and move the latter from engagement with said brake ring against the action of said spring means to permit said gear cage to rotate under motor torque.

6. For use in a clothes washing machine or the like of the type disclosed, a stationary casing, a tubular shaft an end of which projects into the casing, a gear cage in the casing having top and bottom walls, said top l wall being rotatably mounted on said tubular shaft, a drive shaft, means rotatably mounting said gear cage thereon, a pinion on said shaft, gearing in the cage in mesh with said drive shaft pinion and operable to oscillate said tubular shaft, a thrust bearing fixed to the casing on which the bottom cage wall rests, a brake ring carried by the casing, a clutch and brake ring disposed intermediate said cage and said brake ring, resilient arm means supporting said clutch and brake ring on said cage fol" Aring and said thrust bearing to hold the cage stationary, a clutch disk slidably mounted on said tubular shaft in power transmitting engagement therewith, a rod which extends down through said tubular shaft and engageabie with said clutch disk to bring it into engagement with said clutch and brake ring and move the latter from engagement with said brake ring againstthe action of said spring means.

7. For use in a clothes washing machine or the like of the type disclosed, a tubular shaft, a casing into which an end of the shaft projects, a gear cage rotatably mounted on such shaft end, an zo electric motor, gearing carried by the cage which connects the motor to said shaft foroscillating the shaft, a brake ring xed to said casing, a brake and clutch ring carried by the cage, means biasing the brake and clutch ring into engagement with said brake ring to normally hold the gear cage stationary, an axially movable clutch disk, and a rod extending down through said tubular shaft for moving said clutch disk info `engagement with the brake and clutch ring and the brake and clutch ring out of engagement with the brake ring to permit the motor to rotate the gear cage.

JAMES F. YOUNG. CARL S. DAYTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi' record in the l iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number A Name Date 1,947,033 Bush Feb. v13, 1934 1,963,638 WilSing June 19, 1934 2,057,896 Hume ..--a Oct. 20, 1936 2,141,209 Emrick Dec. 27, 1938 2,161,604 Watts June 6, 1939 2,346,158 Dyer Apr. 11, 1944 2,400,835 Levin May 21,1946 2,411,960 Dyer Dee. 3, 1946 2,432,272 Dec. 9, 1947 2,462,657 McNiiy Feb. 22, 1949 

